Remembrance
by TheGrayson
Summary: In the wake of Rezo's resurrection, Zelgadis takes some time to focus on the way life used to be. Oneshot, no pairings.


**Gasp! I'm back? YES! Now about this fic-thingy, I've actually followed Slayers ever since it came out way back in the 90s, with its sucky animation and all. I just kind of jumped back into the fandom, so I whipped this up today (when I should have been doing Chem homework.) **

**I just love Zel too much, so this is gonna center on him.**

**Don't worry, I have the YJ stuff ready to post. Quit nagging.**

**Disclaimer: I don't, will not, and have not owned/own Slayers or anything related to it. *sob***

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><p>Lina and the others found Zelgadis several hours later, deep in the forest. He was leaning with his back against a tree, his eyes closed and his stiff hair falling across his face. To any other person it would have seemed that he was sleeping, but Line knew this wasn't the case.<p>

"Zel! We've been looking for you for hours!" she berated, kicking his in the side. Zelgadis's eyes opened suddenly and he quickly tugged the loose collar of his shirt over his face, out of habit. He let it drop after he recognized who it was.

"Sorry," he murmured, averting his gaze. "I just needed to think."

"Seems like you've been doing an awful lot of thinking lately," Lina said curtly.

The blue chimera looked down, his eyes narrowing as he remembered the situation. Rezo speaking to him, taunting him, telling him he'd be stuck in his horrible body forever.

"It's just… working, today, to help save the people of Taforashia," Zelgadis murmured. "It felt so much like the old days, when I used to help Rezo when I was small. I almost forgot all the bad things he had done, and for a moment, I was actually glad he had come back."

"But I thought you hated him, Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia questioned softly.

"I do."

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><p><em>Zelgadis was sitting at the table, tears streaming down his cheeks as he twisting his mother's necklace around his fingers. They had died only a week ago, and the pain was still fresh.<em>

_The little eight-year-old boy was stuck. He was too old to be sent to the orphanage, which only accepted very young children, but he wasn't old enough or good enough at magic to go out into the world and try to make a living for himself. The best he could do was stay in the village and beg, as he had done for the past few days._

_And then the door opened._

_There was a faint ringing sound, like the clinking of wind chimes or the jingling of bells. It was both pleasing and chilling at the same time. Zelgadis didn't bother turning around. It was probably the owner of the house here to tell him to get out of the basement._

_"Zelgadis." _

_The voice was low, deep and rumbling, tainted with a higher-class accent than was normal for this village._

_"Who—who're you?" Zelgadis sniffled, turning around hastily and wiping the snot off his face with his torn sleeve._

_The man standing behind him was tall, with dark red-purple hair that curled above his shoulders. He was holding a large scepter, and Zelgadis realized that that was what had created the jingling noise. The man's eyes were closed, but there was a soft smile on his face that made him seem kind and inviting._

_"I'm your great-grandfather. I'm your father's grandfather." The man said nicely, taking a step toward the small boy. "I heard about what happened to Evantroy and Allea, and I came to get you."_

_"Get me?" Zelgadis questioned, still scrubbing at his face with his sleeve._

_"You don't want to keep living like this, do you?" The man shook his head, as if urging Zelgadis to do the same. "Besides, you're my great-grandson. It's my duty to look after you."_

_"O-okay," Zelgadis mumbled. He still felt a bit weary, but after a week of trying to make it on his own, any it of human kindness was much appreciated. The boy quickly got to his feet and shoved his long blue hair behind his ears._

_"What's your name, great-grandfather?"_

_"I have many titles."_

_Silence._

_ "But you may call me Rezo."_

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><p>"Rezo is my great-grandfather." Zelgadis admitted, painfully aware of the looks of surprise on his friends' faces. "He took me in after my parents died. I owe him for that."<p>

"So now you guys are even." Lina said, trying to overcome the shock on her face with a small smile.

"We'll never be even." Zelgadis hissed, his eyes burning with hate. "Not after what he did to me."

"Look, Zel," Lina started, exasperated. "We already know you're really mad about him turning you into a chimera and all, but just—"

"It's not that." Zelgadis interrupted, frowning. "It's—Rezo only created chimeras so he could use them for research. Experiments, to see if he could get his sight back."

"Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia cried, surprise written across her features. "Are you saying that the Red Priest Rezo used you for experiments?"

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><p><em>Zelgadis hissed as he was locked into the large, egg-shaped glass tank, his stone skin scraping against the glass.<em>

_"Stop!" he shouted, twisting in the bonds of black magic that held him in place. "What are you—ahh!" he yelped as the coils of energy suddenly burned, searing his skin even darker._

_"I'm sorry, Zelgadis." Rezo murmured, his voice holding no trace of remorse. "It pains me to do this, but I have to test the resiliency of your new body. It may prove to be the perfect host. You are my most successful creation ever."_

_"You're—you're using me?" Zelgadis gritted out, grunting as he was forced into the tank and the door was locked. A quick shot of electricity suddenly burst into him and he cried out, squirming in pain. The shock ended as quickly as it had begun, leaving the chimera panting and wilted._

_"It's only a temporary arrangement." Rezo smiled, turning around. "And at least this way, nobody will get to see your hideous face."_

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><p>"Oh, Zel." Lina murmured sympathetically, and reached out to place a hand on the shaman's shoulder, but he shrugged it off roughly and glared at her.<p>

"I don't need pity. I just need to somehow get rid of Rezo."

"So you can get revenge." Lina suggested, a wide grin spreading across her face.

"No, so I can stop him from becoming the man he was before." Zelgadis corrected, frowning slightly. "Tonight he was helpful and kind, but he was like that once before too. Right before he became insane." the chimera pointed out.

"But he hasn't done anything bad yet." Gourry shrugged, as if the whole thing was ridiculous.

"That's true. Rezo seems to have really changed." Amelia said doubtfully. "Maybe you're just letting the past get in your way."

"You can all say that," Zelgadis hissed, his eyes darting between his three closest friends—not that he had many other friends. "But you don't know him the way I do. He's not normal; it's just a matter of time."

"Then we can wait until then." Lina declared firmly, placing her hands on her hips in a very I-think-I'm-right-so-we-won't-be-discussing-this-anymore sort of way.

"Just look at the good side of things," Amelia spoke softly to Zelgadis, standing up and offering him a hand. He ignored it and got up by himself. "Try to remember the Rezo that helped people."

"Try to remember that Rezo." Zelgadis repeated quietly, as if he could force himself to believe it.

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><p><em>"Rezo, how many people do you think you've helped?" A twelve-year-old Zelgadis was practicing his sword strikes, slicing quick, short notches into nearby tree trunks before going back and healing them.<em>

_"I don't keep count." Rezo replied, gently sorting herbs into a basket. "I only wish to help many more."_

_"I wanna be just like you, Rezo!" Zelgadis shouted happily, twisting his sword in what he hoped was a very impressive-looking way._

_"Zelgadis," Rezo cut him off, looking directly at the young shaman despite his lack of sight._

_"Yes, Rezo?"_

_"If something, anything, were to happen to me, I want you to remember me the way I am now." Rezo commanded, reaching out and placing a hand on his young apprentice's shoulder._

_"But… nothing will ever happen, right?" Zelgadis stopped swinging his blade and looked at his great-grandfather worriedly, the fear of losing another family member shining in his eyes._

_"There is no way to know what life has planned for us, Zelgadis, but remember what I said." Rezo murmured, turning away suddenly and walking back into the manor. Zelgadis stared at the retreating form of his mentor, at the man who had become a father to him in the last few years._

_Zelgadis clenched his fists, his eyes glimmering with determination. _

_"I won't forget."_

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><p><strong>Well, there you have it! My first ever Slayers fic! How liberating.<strong>

**Please review! **

**-TOG**


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